THE WEEK.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9305, 22 March 1907, Page 4

THE WEEK.

-^ I The British Premier has been subjected to a good deal of pressuro* during the past week or two on the question of reform of the Lords, amdi he has declared that the Government its in earnest, and that it wild moib disappoint ite pasrty on the subject. This declaration, taken with the speeches of Mr Balfour and the- Duke of Devonishiire, associating the Irish question with ■the second Chamber question, will whet public interest. Of course it is mot impossible, but iit is highly improbable that any short cut can ' be ' found for dealing with the. Loid6. In the colonies we have seen the political complexion ' of the second, Chamber changed, by successive ,ba*ches of new appointments, until the work was completely accomplished. But for various reasons it is doubtful whether that path is available to Sir CampbellBamaeiranain. So far as is known the only other course is that of a, Reform Bill — a bill embodying a scheme for a radical constitutional change. But in tuTn that "would not be likely to be • accepted' By ifche Lords without a*Birect mandate from the constituencies, and this would certainly involve one dissolution of Parliament and; perhaps more than, one, especially .as Hinder the British system it \a virtually impossible to g*t one clear cut issue before the elections by way of a r.eferentd'U'm. If tihere weTe a dissolution this yieaT, for instance, who can doubt that labor, education, cburch, Irish, affairs, tariff would ail! play a great part, and that it -would be difficult to assign to these various questions their exact individual influence on the total result. It might ev£n happen that forces which worked together harmoniously emough at last general election wouldi be found' discordant with the Second Chamber qtnestion an issue. However, though very interesting as a matter of speculation, no one can, form en opinion of any value as to the probable trend of events until the general promises of the Government are transformed 1 into definite proposals. Judging by the tone of speeches those proposals may be expected at an caddy date. The special activity which the leaders of the Home Rule movement have lately been displaying, together with certain other circumstances, suggest© that on acute crisis is rapidly approaching on this question. From present indications it seeme certain that Parliament will presently be actively occupied with ithi? problem, and from what' .has been said by Mr John Redmondi on the one hand, and Mr Balfoar on the other, the Government evidently intend- to give to Ireland a large measure of self-government, if not complete autonomy. Ateo, the action of Dr McNamara, a Cabinet Minister, in joining a. militant Irish organisation for the furtherance of the Home Rule cause, wiH naturally be regarded as c veTy considiexable straw to show the direction of th€ political wind 1 as represented by the Liberal Ministry. But the opponents of the policy aare also active. This was shown by the influential! deputation which -was introduced to Mi Balfour by Lord Aberdeen, "urging the need of combatting schemes in the direction, of Home Rule." Mr Balfour'e vigorous reply shows how uncompromisingly hositfll© the Unionist peaty is. The organisation represented at the deputation was the recently created "Union Defence League," which was expressly formed! (as the Times puts it) "with the object of (resisting the new form of Separaitist policy to be advanced in the coming session by Sir Hy. Caanpbell-Bannerman's Government." The object of tihe League is "to bring the xeal fads about Home Rule or devolution before the electors by means of an "active campaign throughout the countoy." And so these two great forces are .preparing for another struggle-, similar tb that which occurred in 1886, but complicated' by the addition of issues of which comparativiely little was heard during the struggle oi twenty .years ago. To-day is a. day of very .great questions in Great Britain ; the curious thing is that it is also a day of comparatively small men, fox there is now no Gladstone, Bright,

alisbury, Pairneli, Chamberlain (as of Id), aaid 1 though there ame many splendid " urn in Parliament there ,-we really no reat outstanding leaders. What influence, : any, this absence of great leaders of peranal force will have in what looks to wear he appearance of a gneat coming arias emains to be seen. "Measures, not men" sed once to be a favorite political axiom, t would seem as if it were to be put 0 the test before long. ["he reform movement is proceeding apidly in Russia if the forecasts of the ?remier, M. Stolypin, axe based on afly ohd purpose. Constitutional government, • •ight of -workers to declare economic itrikes, old age pensions and so on read ike "planks" in a radical programme im a :ountry of professed, democracy instead of ;he announcement of a Premier in a Government resting on autocracy. Meantime :h& prisons are full of political offender, ma Government opponents ie the Duma we sceptical. There has this week been another great financial panic in -the United States. Fortunately it has been a nich ma/nY frenzy. We do not know that the smashing of one of these American millionaires really affects the weal of the peoplte — as it simply means th« transference of Wast railway or otaer commercial power from one magnate to another — and the announced embarrassment of Mr Harrimain is therefore not likely to cause any public distress. Stall his financial difficulties are interesting ac indicating the enormous dees and falls experienced by these individuals, who soar away into the realms of high nuance. It was > oniiy a few days ago that'Hajrriman a<nd his friends were reported to have. mad© millions m a few hours by a successful coup on 'Change. There is a breatbesuspending romance about the huge opWataonß ,of these thinkers in millioas. Natarally the* .railway magnates sought to attaoh blame .to President Rooeeyelt's campaign and measures against trusts, and corporaturns and to attribute the panic to hie ! imterference. The cables, however, did , not connect the legislation with the panic, but implied 1 that it was due to a tremendous struggle amongst the magnates themselves. The ready a&sastianice rendered by the State to the banks at fhJe mitical juncture nee apparently prevented fastaxes, which, must have inflicted! severe losses atnotagsti a wide circle of smaller financial £ry, and the jesult has been a recovery of the money markets. Another chapter in an, episode which at one time caused very natural alarm has been completed this week. We refer to the commutation oi the death sentences passed on the leaders of <the Ferreira raid. When the trouble in Northern Cape Colony was first announced it was feared that the Boers were being incited to revolt, but ha/ppily it soon proved that Feitpeira's party were merely on a freebooting expedition with do chance oi gaining sufficient assistance to make them damgeroue. So the first Boer rebellion/ against British rule, as lately established 'has been finally disposed of. Talking of tbe Transvaal, it seems that General Botha amd his confreres , tore doing pretty well now as Cabinet Ministers. There are five of them, and) 'propose drawing £16,000 a year' between them. Ministerial office in the Transvaal is a much better thing than in New Zealand. Here thexe are double 'the innimber, and they draw between them in' salaries and allowances £12,500. Yet New Zealand's revenue is about 7 millions, while the Transvaal's is only four millions;' New Zealand's -white population is 800,000, while tue TJransvaaV© is only 300,000. -'lt will be admitted that the new "Ministers aie inflicting a pretty stiff impost om a young and undeveloped wuntry. , The continued high prices for «heese and the comparatively low prices for butter , have had a somewhat unsettling effect on : the minds of those engaged in the 'buttermaking industry. There are those amongst the latter, however, who view with equanimity thfe present disparity between the ! prices aaid- affirm thaft after all the differ1 ©nee is accidental, and that lutter-making • has been the more profitable when' a run > of seasons is -taken. Still the big oppor- . tusnity which has been missed is naturally i a disappointment, whilst companies anemaan > perplexed scarcely knowing 'whether they I should' or should not risk a change now. t -!, — — — ■ . In political circles the Land Bill is kept . to the front by public speakers with > increasing zeal. The • eejbtJement. of -the . slaugh/tenlng strike Is a cause for great r 6afcisf action, for although the weaknesses oi r the Arbitration Act havtebeen disclosed . industrial peace mow prevails, and the. a»- [ rested work of an important branch- of in- . dustry can again be pushed on with. j — *_ . -

A telegram was received in Hawexa yesterday saying that the cadet contingent had arrived safely in Chnstchurch. A calm pjuisa^e was enjoyed and very few of the boys were sick.

Owners ajre reminded that nominations for the Manaaa Hack Racing Ciub races dlbse with the Secretary at Manaia on Monday. 25th inst. Telegraph office closes at 5 p.m.

A meeting of the Executive. Commdttee of the Dairy Produce Exchange called for Thursday Lapsed for lack of a quorum. Only Messrs Gibbs (Kakaramea), Borrie (Kaupokonui), Duirs (MeSUs), and the chairman (Mr Bissett) put in an appearance.

An exchange reports that at the Tai Rawhiti Land. Board the other day a native claimed an interest in a block of land. His claim was proved, and it was a sixth of a quarter of an acre, about enough land to put a billiard table on. The native whose claim was next to be heard was very scornful at so much time being spent over this "bit of property." "Not enough to bury him in," he ejaculated, "less you put him up and down, all the same strainer post."

An exchange says there i.s a great influx of sheep into tbje Auckland province at present. Every district is stocking. In tho Jvmg Country 6000 head of sheep arrived fiom tiho'Hawke's Pay and WaiKtrapa, in one lot; another two mobs consisted of 3000 each, and a great number of smaller lots are coming through. Over 4000 have come from Timaru. 4300 from Lyttelton, about 200 from Tatanaki, and these have none into afl parts of the province, to Whangarei for the overland route to Kaipara, to Auckland ffor the Waikato, and so on.

There is apparently no dearth of aspirants for appointments under the Wanganui Education Beard (says the Wanganity Chronicle). At Wednesday night's meeting, for the special -ssostantship at Patea District High Schol there wsre 17 applications, 8 of whom hold University, degrees. For the special ara'stantship at the Eltham District H_gh School there were 10 'applicants, six of whom hold University degrees. For an assistantship worth £130 a year there were 14 applications, 12 of Whom are certificated. For a head teachership, worth £195 aad £30 house allowance, there were 33 applications of certificated leachera, all in this district.

The firm of Nelson, Moato, and Co., which has been a household word throughout New Zealand for over a quarter of a century, has just added another ferare! tk> thedr long list of victories, having received the goM medal at the International Exhibition at Christchurch. The name of this firm, in connection with tea, is synonymous with good quality. Their packet teas never vary in . strength, and are blended by Mr Nelson, who has had 33 years' constant experience. The sales have been gradually increasing for years past, notwithstanding fierce competition, but the quality and price of Nelson, Moaie and Co.'s teas have always proved them to be the best. As far back as 1882 the firm first won the gold and silver medal so they are not novices in tea blending. They have only competed three times, and this last result makes three first honors to their credit, a fact of which any firm might be proud.

Just what shkmld be done in the way of reforming the criminal has lon^ beea a serious problem in .New Zealand, along with older countries. In Michigan State prison (U.S.A.), whioh is inhabited by 700 of the worst characters in the States, a scheme has been evolved to humanise and reform the donvicts by kindness, not tb rMinish them. What Will be the ultimate result only a thorough trial can determine. The men are taught tiades, and can earn money for themselves. They may eunuse themselves for three-quarters of an hour a day as they please on a playing green. Bands play to them, and travelling companies perform in their theatre. By gbod conduct they have the chance of earning large reductions in their sentences. The various employments include manufacture of aftricultTiiral implements, of furniture waggons, brooms, momunents and gmavestones-, and in addition to the machine shops- there is a. tailoring establishment, the laundry, kitchen, prison farm, and clerical work. After completing a set tas^ satisfactorily, each nr.an may work for himself at a stipulated rate of pay.

Thirty years ago the dost of the world's defoacn' forces would have been covered by fifty million pounds. In the twentieth century the cost has already reached eight times that amount annually. Almost every national leader is urging increased expenditure. President Roosevelt, pleading for new Dreadnoughts, declares that the United States must keep »n building and maintain tihe highest state of efficiency, or else "quit trying to be a great nation." "Germany," says the Kaiser, "must be sr> strong as to be able to impose peace on spa as well as on land."' The French Premier is reported as having put the matter in still the same spirit Russia is rapidly building to replace vessels lost in tho Japanese war. , Japan has a construction programme involving nearly £8 000.000. France has 80 submarines built and buMing, Britain 40, Italy 13, Russia, 23, and the United States 9. Germany will have 30 by th© end of IQOB. . By 1910° Britain will have oC first-class battleships, France 32, the United States 29, Germany 26, Japan 16, and Italy 11.

The Davis-Swettenham affair led to an amusing little incident in Home politics. The fact that a British colony received j first aid for its wtounded from ships of a foreign fleet was promptJy seized as a stick wfrfttiewith to thrash that dog, tho liberal Government (writes Mr H. W. Lvov). In several newspapers of large ciTCulation it was wept over as a "humiliation"—"the result," one wrote, "of the pofljcy of our present patriotic Government, which can but bring the blush of shame to all true Englishmen." Whilst the pack was in full cry it was suddenly called in by the whip. Someone remembered that the new system of concentrating the fleet, necessitating tho withdrawal of crvisers from Jamaica and other ooflonies was- the work, not of recreant Liberal Ministers, but of their predecessors. More than two years ago, under the administration at the Admiralty of Lord Selborne—of course with the approval cf Mr Balfour and his colleagues in Cabinet— the new system was apprtoved It came linto fuU eSect under Lord CawdWr, who succeeded the Earl of Selborne at the Admiialty and was in Ml swing a year before the liberals cam© into office. In ac cordance with its regulations, when the earthquake burst forth the- British ships nearest at band were the cruiser Brilßant at Beimuda and the Indefatigable at Tnnidad. both points within a thousand miles of Jamaica, near enough to be of use on threatened outbreak of war, but not nimble enough for an earthquake, which, among other pleasantries, destroys communication by breaking cables.

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